Julie Herndon
A Long Postlude
for solo performer, light bulbs, and electronics 2018
Program Note: Alexander Graham Bell developed the photophone in 1880. The device reflected vibrated sunlight to convey speech wirelessly. While Bell thought it to be one of his greatest inventions, it was too impractical to be put to general use.
This piece explores the mystical properties of light and its applications, using text documenting the photophone interspersed with Mormon prophecies about light. Light bulbs are absent from the story itself (Bell used sunlight for his experiment). As such, the bulbs become bystanders, independent characters since groomed by history, communicating a story of speech by light. Requirements: Light fixtures (approx. 6), each with an incandescent Edison bulb 2 light bulb controllers (available from the composer) with dimmers and switch Power strip (1-2) and extension cords (1-2) as necessary Computer to run Max patch (available from the composer) Inductor microphone Interface (min. 1 in, stereo out) Stereo PA Set up: Light bulb chorus: assorted light fixtures arranged in a group
Solo light positioned in foreground inductor microphone taped or attached to bulb power strip
interface
to stereo PA
laptop running Max patch performer solo light controller chorus light controller
outlet
Text: The means was simple and the range limited. …to develop a light-sensitive selenium cell of sufficiently low resistance. That achieved, Bell and Tainter placed the cell in a telephone circuit and by a system of lenses threw upon the cell a beam of light reflected from a voice-vibrated plane mirror.
Darkness reduces our ability to see clearly. It dims our vision of that which was at one time plain and clear. The voice distorted the mirror’s surface, and thereby varied the intensity of the reflected beam. This in turn varied the resistance of the selenium cell and thus made the battery current “undulatory,” as required for telephonic speech. …the mirror and cell were within earshot of each other, and so the experimenters listened to the effect through a telephone in another room. When we are in darkness, we are more likely to make poor choices because we cannot see dangers in our path. When we are in darkness, we are more likely to lose hope because we cannot see the peace and joy that await us if we just keep pressing forward. Light, on the other hand, allows us to see things as they really are. Their early success seemed to reassure Bell, that his life thenceforward was not to be merely a long postlude to the telephone. In a letter he wrote his father on February 26. He gave his dramatic instinct full play. I have heard articulate speech produced by sunlight! (contour echo). I have heard a ray of the sun laugh and cough and sing! I have been able to hear a shadow, and I have even perceived by ear the passage of a cloud across the sun’s disk.”
from Robert Bruce, Bell: Alexander Graham Bell and the Conquest of Solitude, (Cornell University Press, 1990). Prophecy by Dieter Uchtdorf, “Bearers of Heavenly Light,” Latter Day Saints General Assembly (October 2017).
Score
A Long Postlude
Julie Herndon
Time: 0:00
Light Bulb Solo
bright medium dim
Light Bulb Chorus
[start sample]
Voice
The means was simple
0:32
and the range
limited.
like gibberish Morse code
L.B.Solo
V.
to develop a light-sensitive
selenium cell
of suďŹƒciently low resistance.
0:45 L.B.Solo
V.
Bell and Tainter
placed the cell in a telephone circuit
and
by a system of lenses
threw
1:01 L.B.Solo
V.
the cell
1:21
a beam of light reected
from a voice-
vibrated
our
ability
plane mirror
switch to chorus light controller
L.B.Chorus
V.
Darkness
reduces
to
see
clearly.
upon
Score Voice
2
!
A Long Postlude
Julie Herndon
to solo controller
1:35 L.B.Chorus Light Bulb
V.
Voice
!
It
dims our vision of
that which was
at
one
time
plain
and
clear.
following the contour of the speech
1:53 L.B.Solo
V.
The voice distorted the mirror’s surface,
Score
L.B. .
2:05
Morse code-like
!
"
and thereby varied the intensity
A Long Postlude
Voice
!
V.
! This
in turn
varied the resistance of the selenium cell
"
Julie Herndon
jagged
"
L.B.Solo V. Light Bulb
V. L.B.S. L.B.
of the reflected beam.
and thus made the
battery current
“undulatory,”
"
2:20 L.B.Solo
V.
as required for telephonic speech 2:32 L.B.Solo
V.
The mirror and cell were within earshot of each other,
and so the experimenters listened to the e ect through a telephone
trill (ord)
© Julie Herndon 2018
L.B.
bsbg &&----00*******098789000000--------------087654333222221111==-0-0-0-0 &&&&&&&&------******* &&&-----*******
"
2:45
L.B.Solo V. V.
!
trill (ord)
in
another room.
" © Julie Herndon 2018
When
we are
in
darkness,
3 3:00 L.B.Solo
L.B.Chorus
V.
we are more likely to make
poor choices
because we cannot
see
dangers
in our path.
3:19 L.B.Chorus
V.
When we are in darkness,
we are
more
likely
to
lose
hope
3:33 L.B.Chorus
V.
because
we
cannot
see
just
keep
the peace
and
joy
that
await
us
3:49 L.B.Chorus
V.
if
we
pressing
forward.
4:01 L.B.Chorus
V.
Light,
on the other hand,
4:15
allows
us
to
see
things
to solo controller
L.B.Chorus
V.
as
they
really
are.
4
4:28
jagged, following contour of speech
L.B.Solo L.B.Chorus (dim.) V.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Their early success seemed to reassure Bell 4:43
that his life thenceforward
Morse code-like
was not to be merely a
long
postlude
speech contour
L.B.Solo L.B.Chorus (dim.) -
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
V.
to the telephone.
in a letter he wrote his father on February 26.
He gave his dramatic instinct
5:00 L.B.Solo
L.B.Chorus V.
full play.
I have
heard
articulate
speech
produced by sunlight!
5:16 L.B.Solo
L.B.Chours
V.
I have
heard a ray of the sun
laugh
and
cough
and
sing
5:44 L.B.Solo
L.B.Chorus
V.
I
have been
able to hear
a
shadow,
and I
have even perceived by ear
5:51 L.B.Solo
L.B.Chorus
V.
the
passage
of a
cloud
across
the sun’s
disk.